Tennis: Alcaraz doesn't know 'limit' after Wimbledon repeat

LONDON -- Carlos Alcaraz said he does not know his limit after overpowering Novak Djokovic on Sunday to win his second Wimbledon title but believes the Serb is still "Superman".

The Spanish third seed beat the seven-time champion 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), collecting the fourth Grand Slam of his young career and underlining a changing of the guard.

Alcaraz, 21, who has won three of the past five majors, said he wanted to enjoy his "amazing journey so far" rather than look too far into the future.

"I really want to keep going, to keep improving, to keep growing up, try to keep winning. That's all that matters for me right now," he said.

"I don't know what is my limit. I don't want to think about it. I just want to keep enjoying my moment, just to keep dreaming.

"So let's see if at the end of my career it's going to be 25, 30, 15, four (Slams). I don't know. All I want to say is I want to keep enjoying and let's see what the future brings to me."

Despite his staggering success at such a tender age, Alcaraz said it was more important where he finished.

"I want to sit at the same table as the big guys," he said. "That's my main goal. That's my dream right now."

Djokovic was aiming for record 25th major but struggled to get going against a man 16 years his junior on Centre Court, and Alcaraz said he took advantage of the veteran's mistakes.

Alcaraz described the Serb as "Superman" before the tournament started and said he had no reason to change his mind, especially as Djokovic had surgery on his knee just last month.

"I'm still believing that Novak is Superman because what he has done this tournament with a surgery just a few weeks before the tournament began," he said.

"It is amazing. It is unbelievable. Honestly, as I said on court, I was talking to my team that the work that Novak has done has been unbelievable."

Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner, 22, have won all three Grand Slams this year, suggesting a change in the balance of power at the top of the game.

The Spaniard said it was positive to have new champions after Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer dominated for so long.

"I think it is good for tennis to have new faces winning the big things and fighting for the big tournaments," he said.

"I'm really glad to have him (Sinner) there. As I said many times, we have a really good rivalry, as young players that are coming up, fighting for these things as well. I think it's great for the sport, for tennis and I think for the players."

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic honors Kobe Bryant after US Open win

NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic paid tribute to late basketball star Kobe Bryant after he won his record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday, wearing a "Mamba Forever" shirt during the trophy presentation.

Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to clinch his fourth US Open crown and gain revenge for his loss to the Russian two years ago which shattered his dreams of a calendar Grand Slam.

Afterwards Djokovic revealed a t-shirt with an image of him alongside Bryant -- the ferociously competitive basketball great whose nickname was "Black Mamba". On the back was 24, the number worn by the Los Angeles Lakers icon during his NBA career.

Djokovic said Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash three years ago, had helped him through some of the most challenging times of his career -- notably a career-threatening elbow injury in 2017.

"I thought about doing this t-shirt a few days ago," said Djokovic.

"I didn't share it with anybody. Kobe was a close friend of mine, we chatted a lot, about the winner's mentality.

"When I was struggling with injury and trying to work my way back to the top he was one of the people I relied on the most he was always there for support in the most friendly way.

"His passing hurt me deeply and 24 is the jersey he wore at Lakers so I thought it would be nice to acknowledge him."

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Swiatek upset by Ostapenko at US Open as Djokovic cruises

NEW YORK -- Defending champion Iga Swiatek crashed out of the US Open on Sunday after defeat by Jelena Ostapenko and will lose her number one ranking, while Novak Djokovic marched into the quarter-finals.

Swiatek grabbed the opening set against Ostapenko but the unpredictable Latvian stormed back to win, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and secure her fourth victory in as many meetings with the Polish star.

The mercurial Ostapenko, who had never made it to the last 16 in New York before this week, goes on to face title contender and home favorite Coco Gauff in the last eight after blasting Swiatek out of the tournament.

"She plays well against me, she's always done that," said Swiatek. "I'm just surprised that my level changed so drastically. I don't really know what happened with my game, I felt no control suddenly."

Undeterred by falling behind, Ostapenko's typically fearless and aggressive approach rendered Swiatek helpless and ensures there will be a new world number one after the US Open.

Swiatek's 75-week reign will come to an end, with rival Aryna Sabalenka set to take over top spot.

"I always expect a tough battle against Iga, she's such a great player and won many Slams and is so consistent," said Ostapenko, the 20th seed and 2017 French Open champion.

"I knew I had to be aggressive and play my game because that's what she doesn't like.

"I was just thinking that I have to play until the very last point, until we shake hands. I felt like I was playing better and didn't give her many chances."

Gauff ended Caroline Wozniacki's fairytale Grand Slam comeback earlier Sunday as the sixth seed saw off the former world No. 1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

The 19-year-old registered her 15th win in 16 matches, a run including titles in Washington and Cincinnati last month.

Gauff sparked into life after dropping the opening two games to pocket the opening set, but Wozniacki -- playing her first Grand Slam in over three years -- wound back the clock to level the match.

Two-time US Open runner-up Wozniacki, 33, broke to start the deciding set, triggering a ferocious response from Gauff who swept the final six games to close out a gutsy victory.

Wozniacki, who made her tour debut when Gauff was only one, retired after the 2020 Australian Open to start a family, giving birth to two children.

She was trying to emulate Kim Clijsters, who beat the Dane in the 2009 US Open final on her own return to Grand Slam tennis from maternity leave.

Djokovic sails as Americans progress 

Djokovic swept into his 13th US Open quarter-final, cruising past 105th-ranked Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4, to advance to a showdown with American No. 1 Taylor Fritz.

After recovering from two sets down in the previous round, Djokovic dictated from the outset against 25-year-old outsider Gojo who had won just one Grand Slam match prior to this week.

Djokovic broke twice in the first set, the 23-time Grand Slam winner shaking off an early wobble in the second and procuring another break in the third to polish off Gojo without the drama of his preceding five-set victory over Laslo Djere.

The 36-year-old Serbian star will on Tuesday look to continue his dominance of Fritz, a player he's beaten in all seven past meetings including a one-sided affair in Cincinnati last month.

"He's been playing some terrific tennis particularly on home soil here in the States," Djokovic said of Fritz, the only man yet to drop a set so far.

"Obviously the matches are going to get tougher from here onwards and I'm ready. It's going to be great."

Fritz became the third American man to reach the quarter-finals Sunday after a straight-sets win over Swiss qualifier Dominic Stricker.

The ninth seed knocked out world No. 128 Stricker, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-4, to match his mother Kathy May's run to the 1978 US Open quarter-finals.

He joins compatriots Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton in the next round. It is the first time the US has had three men's quarter-finalists in New York since 2005.

Tiafoe, seeded 10th, advanced to an all-American quarter-final against 47th-ranked Shelton after defeating Australia's Rinky Hijikata, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.

The 25-year-old Tiafoe reached the semi-finals of the US Open last year where he lost in five sets to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Meanwhile, Shelton, 20, took down 14th-seeded compatriot Tommy Paul in four sets to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final of the year.

He avenged his loss to Paul in the last eight of the Australian Open, winning 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to become the youngest American man to reach the US Open quarters since Andy Roddick in 2002.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Alcaraz beats Djokovic in five sets to win first Wimbledon title

LONDON -- Carlos Alcaraz defeated seven-time champion Novak Djokovic to claim his first Wimbledon title on Sunday, shattering the Serb's dream of a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam crown.

World number one Alcaraz recovered from dropping the first set and saving a set point in the second to win 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 after four hours and 42 minutes on Centre Court.

It was a second major for the 20-year-old Spaniard following his US Open title last year as he became Wimbledon's third youngest men's champion.

The result will also spark feverish speculation over the start of a generational shift, with 36-year-old Djokovic carrying the torch of the 'Big Three' now that Roger Federer is retired and Rafael Nadal is sidelined, perhaps permanently.

Australian Open and French Open champion Djokovic had been bidding to equal Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles, match Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24 Slams and become the All England Club's oldest men's champion.

When he won his first major at the Australian Open in 2008, Alcaraz was still three months shy of his fifth birthday.

"You inspire me a lot," Alcaraz told Djokovic after becoming the third Spanish winner of the title, following in the footsteps of Manuel Santana in 1966 and Nadal in 2008 and 2010.

"I started playing tennis watching you. Since I was born you were already winning tournaments. It is amazing," he added with a smile after firing 66 winners past the Serb, off-setting his 45 unforced errors.

"I fall in love with grass right now. It's amazing."

Nadal took to Twitter to salute Alcaraz, praising him for bringing "immense joy" to Spanish tennis and telling him to "enjoy the moment".

Djokovic was playing in his ninth final at Wimbledon and 35th at the majors, while for Alcaraz it was just a second in the Slams following his US Open triumph.

"What a quality at the end of the match when you had to serve it out," said Djokovic, who had been chasing a fifth successive Wimbledon crown.

- 'You deserve it' -

"You came up with some big plays in the big situation and you absolutely deserve it. Amazing.

"As for me, you never like to lose matches like these but I guess when all the emotions are settled I'll have to be very grateful."

The Serb, who was on a 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon, went into the final not having lost on Centre Court since his 2013 defeat to Andy Murray in the title match.

Alcaraz, who had been crippled by body cramping in his loss to Djokovic in the French Open semi-final in June, was unable to settle in the first set and let a break point slip away in the seven-minute opening game.

- Golden chance -

Djokovic took advantage and raced into a 5-0 lead on the back of a double break before the Spaniard got on the board.

It was too little, too late as Djokovic claimed the opening set with a smash.

But Alcaraz finally freed himself of his shackles and broke for 2-1 in the second set.

Djokovic hit straight back in the third game before saving a break point in the fourth, coming out on top of a 29-shot rally.

The Serb was hit with a time violation in the tie-break before seeing a set point saved.

Alcaraz needed no second invitation when he carved out and converted a set point to level the contest with a backhand winner.

The marathon set had taken 85 minutes as Djokovic's run of 15 tie-breaks won in a row at the majors ended.

Alcaraz broke in the opening game of the third set and again after an exhausting 26-minute fifth game, which went to 13 deuces and saw Djokovic save six break points before he cracked on the seventh.

Alcaraz backed it up with a rapid-fire service game which took just two minutes in comparison and broke again against the dispirited defending champion to move two sets to one ahead.

Djokovic broke twice in the fourth set, levelling the match courtesy of Alcaraz's seventh double fault of the final.

But Djokovic wasted a golden chance to break for 2-0 in the decider with a wild smash and Alcaraz made him pay, breaking for 2-1.

A frustrated Djokovic collected another code violation for destroying his racquet against the net post before he slipped 3-1 down.

Alcaraz was not to be denied and he claimed a famous victory when Djokovic buried a forehand in the net.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Alcaraz, Djokovic set for 'feast' in blockbuster Wimbledon final

LONDON -- Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic set up a potentially era-defining Wimbledon title showdown after cruising through their semi-finals on Friday with the Serb superstar promising a "feast" of tennis in the championship match.

World number one and US Open winner Alcaraz, playing only his fourth grass-court tournament, defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open and French Open champion, reached his ninth final at the All England Club and record 35th at the Grand Slams by seeing off Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

On Sunday, the 36-year-old world number two will attempt to equal Roger Federer's mark of eight Wimbledon titles and Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 majors.

Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the French Open semi-finals in June with the Spaniard admitting the stress of facing the Serb had caused severe body cramps that undermined his performance.

"I believe I can beat Djokovic," said 20-year-old Alcaraz, who was still three months shy of his fifth birthday when Djokovic won his first Slam title in Australia in 2008.

"Everyone knows the legend he is. I will fight. I will believe in myself. There's no time to be afraid, no time to be tired."

Djokovic believes his experience in Slam finals will be a key factor but remains wary of the flamboyant shotmaker.

"He's in great shape. He's very motivated. He's young. He's hungry. I'm hungry, too, so let's have a feast," he said.

Alcaraz only won seven games when he suffered a straight sets loss to Medvedev at Wimbledon just two years ago.

Back then, however, he was 75 in the world while Medvedev was at number two in the rankings.

On Friday, serve dominated the opener until Alcaraz converted a break point for a 5-3 lead which he backed-up with a love service game.

Medvedev had his only break point snuffed out in the second game of the second set and US Open champion Alcaraz pounced again in the third on his way to a convincing lead.

Alcaraz was a break to the good for a 2-0 lead in the third set before four successive breaks gave the finale a sloppy appearance.

The Spaniard, however, steadied himself, moving into his first Wimbledon final with a spectacular running forehand, his 27th winner of the match.

Djokovic's victory over Sinner was tinged with controversy when he was penalized for hindrance and warned for slow play in the same game during the second set.

Djokovic, playing in his 12th Wimbledon semi-final, fought off three break points in the first set while only needing one of his own in the second game to secure the opener.

The 36-year-old had declared himself favourite for the title on the eve of the semi-final and he backed up that confidence with another break of the Italian for a 2-1 lead in the second set.

Seven-time champion Djokovic stretched to a 3-1 lead in a bizarre fourth game.

 - Hindrance call -

Firstly, he was docked a point for hindrance following a loud grunt which accompanied a down the line backhand.

Umpire Richard Haigh then handed him a code violation for taking too long between points.

"The hindrance early on in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to re-group," said Djokovic, the first player, man or woman, to reach 35 finals at the Slams.

"It's probably the first time it's happened to me, I don't normally have extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo in the roof. It was a call that I have to respect."

Despite that double blow, Djokovic still claimed the set courtesy of his seventh ace of the contest against a player who took a two-sets lead against him in the quarter-finals last year before the champion pulled through in five.

Djokovic squandered three break points in the third game of the third set, then saved two set points in the 10th game.

- 'Thirty-six is new 36' -

He turned on his tormentors in the crowd, who were loudly supporting Sinner, by feigning mock tears after he dashed their hopes of a breakthrough for the Italian.

Djokovic then dominated the tie-break to preserve his 10-year undefeated record on Centre Court. He has won 34 matches in a row at the event.

"I feel 36 is the new 26, it feels pretty good. I feel a lot of motivation," he said.

Sinner warned Alcaraz not to be intimidated by Djokovic in Sunday's final.

"If you think how big he is, you struggle," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Djokovic into 12th Wimbledon semis, as Ukraine's Svitolina shines

LONDON -- Novak Djokovic reached a 12th Wimbledon semi-final and record-equaling 46th at the Grand Slams on Tuesday as Elina Svitolina stunned world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, delivering an emotional boost for her war-torn Ukraine homeland.

Djokovic, chasing an eighth title at the All England Club and 24th career major, defeated Andrey Rublev, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, and will face Italy's Jannik Sinner for a place in the final.

The Serb has now reached as many semi-finals at the Slams as the retired Roger Federer.

The 36-year-old, playing in his 400th Grand Slam match, insisted he was enjoying being the man to beat.

"I love it. Any player wants to be in the position where all the other players want to beat you," he said after preserving his record of not losing on Centre Court since 2013.

"The pressure never goes away every time I come on court.

"They want to get a scalp and the win -- but it ain't happening!"

After dropping the first set, a fired-up Djokovic only allowed Rublev six points in the first five games of the second set.

The champion then needed five set points to claim the third while saving three break points in the same game.

Rublev's spirit drained away and Djokovic claimed victory with his 42nd winner of the tie.

The Russian world number seven has now lost all eight quarter-finals he has played at the majors.

"I had these little chances but I didn't make them. He made them. That's why he's Novak, one of the greatest players in history," he said.

 'I'll have a beer' 

Svitolina, the world No. 76, who gave birth last October and only returned to the tour in April, stunned US Open and French Open champion Swiatek in her quarter-final, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.

Svitolina, already a semi-finalist in 2019, will take on Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic for a place in Saturday's championship match.

Unseeded Vondrousova made the last four by seeing off fourth-ranked Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Svitolina, playing on a wild card, has reached the semi-finals by seeing off a quartet of Grand Slam title winners in Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, in a stormy last-16 clash, and now Swiatek.

She said she intended to "enjoy the moment and have a beer".

"If you had told me before the tournament I would get to the semi-finals, I'd say you were crazy," said Svitolina, who also made the last eight at the French Open last month.

She could have had the match wrapped up in straight sets when she led 4/1 in the second-set tiebreaker before Swiatek hit back.

However, the 28-year-old Ukrainian composed herself, racing away to a double break in the decider.

"I told Elina at the net that I am rooting for her. I want to see her win the title," said Swiatek, who was playing in her first quarter-final at the All England Club.

 Vondrousova breakthrough 

Svitolina's win kept alive the prospect of a politically charged final between her and Belarusian world number two Aryna Sabalenka.

Belarus is a key ally of Russia in the war in Ukraine.

On Court One, Pegula, still searching for a semi-final place at the majors, led 4-1 in the final set against 42nd-ranked Vondrousova.

But the American was unable to push on as former French Open runner-up Vondrousova stormed back once the roof was closed on the arena.

"I don't know what happened," said the 24-year-old winner.

Sinner beat unseeded Russian Roman Safiullin to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final.

The Italian eighth seed recovered from a mid-match wobble to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

"It was obviously tough," said the 21-year-old, who squandered a two-sets-to-love lead against Djokovic in last year's quarter-final.

Sinner said he would take to the court in his semi-final with a "good mentality".

"I know Novak hasn't lost on Centre Court in 10 years so it will be a tough one but maybe it's my day."

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic, Alcaraz stay on track for Wimbledon showdown

LONDON -- Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz stayed on track for a dream final at Wimbledon on Monday as defending women's champion Elena Rybakina reached the last eight after barely breaking sweat.

Last year's beaten finalist Ons Jabeur hammered two-time champion Petra Kvitova 6-0, 6-3 while second seed Aryna Sabalenka also won in straight sets.

Djokovic tamed the impressive serve of Hubert Hurkacz to stay on track for a record-equalling eighth title and 24th Grand Slam, winning 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4 to reach his 14th quarter-final at the tournament.

The Serbian second seed was two sets up when a locally agreed 11:00 pm curfew halted play on Sunday.

The match resumed on Centre Court on Monday and the Polish 17th seed broke his illustrious opponent in the 12th game to get a foothold in the match.

In the fourth set, Djokovic broke for a 4-3 lead, ending Hurkacz's perfect run of 67 service games at the tournament this year.

Victory in his 100th match at the tournament gave the Serbian a 90th win.

"In the important moments, particularly in the fourth, I managed to read his serve, make that break. That was the key to success," said the 36-year-old, who will face Russia's Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz lost the first set to 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini but recovered to reach the quarters for the first time, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

The Spaniard has little experience on grass in his short career but won last month's tournament at Queen's to set himself up for a tilt at the Wimbledon title.

"I really wanted to play the quarter-final here, coming this year with that goal," said the US Open champion, who reached the fourth round at the All England Club last year.

"It's my dream to play a final here, to win this title one day, so I hope to reach that dream this year but right now it's great to be in the quarter-finals."

Alcaraz will face sixth seed Holger Rune next after his fellow 20-year-old beat veteran Grigor Dimitrov 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

Men's third seed Daniil Medvedev was 6-4, 6-2 ahead when unseeded Jiri Lehecka retired from their Court One clash with a foot injury.

The Russian will face 43rd-ranked Christopher Eubanks, who beat fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The American described grass as the "stupidest" surface to play on last month but he has now changed his tune.

"The grass and I, we've had a very strenuous relationship over the years but right now I think it's my best friend," he said.

- Fairytale ends -

The first result of the day was on No. 2 Court, where 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva's fairytale run was brought to an end.

The teenager, who came through qualifying, looked set for a place in the quarter-finals when leading 25th seed Madison Keys by a set and 4-1 but the American fought back to win 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

The match ended in controversy when Andreeva was handed a penalty point for banging her racquet into the surface.

The sanction took Keys to match point.

Andreeva said she was seeking to channel Roger Federer, who was a hot-headed player in his younger days.

"I knew that Roger Federer was struggling with emotions when he was teenager," she said of the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

"I'm not the only one who also struggles."

In the opening match on Centre Court, Rybakina was 3-1 up when Brazilian world number 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia took a medical timeout to treat a lower back injury. She returned to the court but had to retire when trailing 4-1.

Kazakh third seed Rybakina will play Jabeur in the quarters in a re-match of last year's final after the Tunisian swept Kvitova aside in just over a hour.

"I'm probably going for my revenge," she said. "It was a difficult final last year. It's going to bring a lot of memories.

"I'm hoping to play like today and get the win because she's an amazing player."

In the other women's fourth-round tie, Belarusian second seed Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open this year, breezed past Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-0 and will play Keys next.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic beats Wawrinka and curfew as Murray hints Wimbledon days over

LONDON -- Novak Djokovic made the Wimbledon fourth round for the 15th time on Friday, beating old rival Stan Wawrinka and a night-time curfew as Andy Murray hinted his All England Club days may be over.

Djokovic, chasing a record-equaling eighth Wimbledon title and 24th career Grand Slam crown, came through 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) against the 38-year-old Wawrinka.

World number two Djokovic will face Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, who he has defeated five times in as many meetings, for a place in the quarter-finals.

Friday's win was Djokovic's 21st in 27 meetings with Wawrinka, a three-time major champion who famously defeated the Serb in the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open finals.

Djokovic never faced a break point under the Centre Court roof and completed victory just 15 minutes before the 11pm All England Club curfew kicked in otherwise they would have had to return on Saturday.

"Stan's doing an amazing job for his age -- we are two old guys," said 36-year-old Djokovic who went level with Pete Sampras's mark of 31 successive wins at the tournament.

"We've had great battles over the years. I respect him as a player and love him as a person. He's a really nice guy."

Djokovic's win kept him on course for a championship match showdown with world number one and US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz who defeated 84th-ranked Alexandre Muller of France 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.

The 20-year-old Alcaraz will face Chile's Nicolas Jarry for a spot in the last 16.

Murray admitted he doesn't know if he will be back at Wimbledon after going down 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (2/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 to fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas in a four-hour 40-minute second round epic.

The 36-year-old has not made the second week of a Grand Slam since reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2017.

"I don't know," said former world number one Murray when asked if he would be back in 2024.

"Motivation is obviously a big thing. Continuing having early losses in tournaments like this don't necessarily help with that."

Tsitispas fired 90 winners past Murray and goes on to face Laslo Djere of Serbia for a place in the last 16.

"It's never easy against Andy. Everyone loves him here," said the 24-year-old Greek.

Murray had been ahead two sets to one when the match was halted on Thursday due to the tournament curfew.

However, he was unable to maintain the momentum on Friday despite not dropping serve in the match until the third game of the decider.

- Medvedev, Rune through -

Men's third seed Daniil Medvedev returned to complete his second-round clash against Adrian Mannarino, the Frenchman who defeated him at Wimbledon five years ago.

The mercurial Russian was two sets and 4-4 ahead when play was halted on day four but quickly wrapped up victory in a third set tie-break.

Danish sixth seed Holger Rune reached the third round for the first time, brushing aside Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

Seventh seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia and Italian eighth-seed Jannik Sinner made the last 16 with wins over David Goffin and Quentin Halys respectively.

World number one Iga Swiatek, the US Open and French Open champion, went through to the last 16 with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Petra Martic and next faces 14th-ranked Belinda Bencic.

Victory in that clash will give the 22-year-old Pole a place in the quarter-finals for the first time.

- Ukraine v Belarus -

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a set down to beat Varvara Gracheva, who recently switched nationality from Russia to France, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Fifth-seeded Caroline Garcia became the fourth top 10 woman to be knocked out when she committed 53 unforced errors in a 7-6 (7/0), 4-6, 7-5 loss to Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic.

Victoria Azarenka, twice a semi-finalist, made the last 16 when she brushed aside Russia's Daria Kasatkina.

She will face Elina Svitolina who will again refuse to shake hands with her Belarusian rival in protest at the country's support of Russia in the invasion of Ukraine.

"For me it's a big motivation and for my country as well. A lot of Ukrainians will be watching, will be supporting me. I will go out there and put the fighting spirit on," said Svitolina.

Fellow Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko triumphed in the longest-ever tiebreak in a Grand Slam women's singles match.

The deciding breaker stretched to a record 38 points as the 34-year-old defeated Ana Bogdan 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (20/18) having saved five match points and converting a seventh match point of her own.

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu came back from 2-5 down in the final set to defeat Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (10/7).

The Canadian will face last year's runner-up Ons Jabeur.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic celebrates 350th Grand Slam win at Wimbledon

LONDON -- Novak Djokovic became only the third player in history to win 350 Grand Slam singles matches after seeing off the challenge of Jordan Thompson at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

The defending champion beat his unseeded Australian opponent 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 to reach the third round, where he will meet Tomas Martin Etcheverry or Stan Wawrinka.

Roger Federer (369) and Serena Williams (365), both of whom retired last year, are the only players with more Grand Slam singles wins than Djokovic.

A single break secured the first set for the Serbian second seed and he edged the second-set tie-break to establish an iron grip on the match on Centre Court.

Thompson, ranked 70th in the world, remained steady on his serve in the third set but eventually cracked in the 12th game when trailing 6-5.

The 36-year-old Djokovic is targeting an eighth Wimbledon title, which would draw him level with Federer's men's record.

He is also chasing a 24th career Grand Slam title, which would equal Margaret Court's all-time record.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: History-making Djokovic claims record 23rd Grand Slam triumph

PARIS, France -- Novak Djokovic created history on Sunday when he captured a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title with a third French Open triumph, reinforcing his case to be crowned the greatest player of all time.

The 36-year-old Serb brushed off an early wobble to defeat Casper Ruud of Norway 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-5 and snap the tie of 22 Slams he shared with career-long rival Rafael Nadal.

Victory for the third time in Paris, after 2016 and 2021, adds to his 10 Australian Open titles, seven at Wimbledon and three at the US Open.

Djokovic is the first man to win all four majors at least three times and is once again halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969.

Only Margaret Court and Serena Williams in women's tennis have managed to rack up 23 Grand Slam titles. Court's all-time mark of 24 will now be in his sights at Wimbledon next month.

There is little sign of Djokovic slowing down. He is now the oldest French Open champion but 11 of his Slam trophies have now been won after he turned 30.

On Monday, he will reclaim the world number ranking and start his 388th week in top spot.

The sense of Sunday's occasion certainly attracted sports A-listers.

NFL legend Tom Brady watched from the Djokovic box, football stars Kylian Mbappe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic sat side by side in the VIP area which also accommodated former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, a regular this weekend.

Djokovic was playing in his seventh French Open final and boasted a 4-0 career record over Ruud, not having lost a single set.

However, the fourth-ranked Norwegian was the more composed of the two at the start, sprinting out of the blocks for a 2-0 lead when Djokovic shanked an overhead.

Ruud, the 2022 runner-up to Nadal, stretched to 3-0 and 4-1 before Djokovic retrieved the break in the seventh game when his opponent buried an easy smash into the net with an open court begging.

It came at the end of a lung-busting 28-shot rally.

Djokovic missed a break point in the ninth game, tumbling to the red clay as he chased down a Ruud drive.

His frustration boiled over when he angrily accused umpire Damien Dumusois of rushing the players between changeovers on a heavy, humid afternoon in the French capital.

Fired up, he then raced through the tiebreak, sealing the opener with a running forehand.

Tellingly, that was Djokovic's sixth tiebreak at this French Open and in none of them had he committed a single unforced error in the 55 points contested.

Despite being Djokovic's junior by 12 years, Ruud, who also lost the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, suddenly looked spent.

Djokovic broke for 2-0 in the second set and despite Ruud saving two set points in the eighth game, the Serb moved closer to his dream.

Ruud saved a break point in the third game of the third set before Djokovic was hit with a warning for taking too long between points.

But he wasn't thrown out of his stride.

Djokovic broke for love at 6-5 and sealed his place in history when Ruud went wide.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic, Alcaraz reach French Open last 16 as Pegula, Rublev exit

PARIS, France -- Novak Djokovic battled into the French Open fourth round for a 14th consecutive year on Friday as Carlos Alcaraz also progressed, after women's third seed Jessica Pegula and men's seventh-ranked Andrey Rublev were dumped out of the tournament.

Djokovic has made headlines for his comments about Kosovo this week but his on-court progress has been relatively serene, reaching the second week without dropping a set.

The Serb star was made to work hard by Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who served for the first set and missed a set point in the second, but won 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"I thought if I lost the second set we would play five hours today, but I'm proud of the performance," said Djokovic.

Two-time champion Djokovic, who has also made the French Open quarter-finals in each of the past 13 years, will take on Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas in the last 16.

The 36-year-old is hoping to break out of his tie with injured rival Rafael Nadal at the top of the men's all-time list of major winners at Roland Garros.

He is just one title behind Serena Williams' mark of 23 Slams and two adrift of Margaret Court's overall record.

Djokovic, slated to meet world number one Alcaraz in the semi-finals, has now won three of his four matches with Davidovich Fokina.

The first two sets lasted two hours and 47 minutes, as Davidovich Fokina provided a stern test of Djokovic's form.

But the world number three broke when he trailed 6-5 in the opening set before overturning a 3-1 deficit to win a tie-break.

Davidovich Fokina missed one set point to level the match before Djokovic won another breaker before being booed by the crowd for taking a medical time-out.

"That's something that I find disrespectful and I frankly don't understand that," said Djokovic, who made short work of the third set.

Alcaraz thrashed Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov for the loss of just seven games in the night-session match.

The Spaniard powered to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory, with the only slight blip when he trailed 4-1 in the second set.

He reeled off seven straight games after that wake-up call, though, to set up a fourth-round meeting with Italian 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti who dismantled British number one Cameron Norrie 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

"I knew I'd have my chances in the second set to come back a bit and that's what I did," Alcaraz said.

The 20-year-old is bidding for a second straight Grand Slam title after winning the 2022 US Open and then missing this year's Australian Open through injury.

- Sonego stunner -

Italian Lorenzo Sonego battled back from two sets down to knock out Rublev and reach the last 16 for the second time.

The world number 48 was two points from defeat during a fourth-set tie-break but prevailed 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 after three hours and 42 minutes.

Sonego will face Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov for a possible quarter-final meeting with Djokovic.

"I played more aggressive than in the first and second sets because when he's aggressive it's tough to compete against him," he said.

Eleventh seed Khachanov ended Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis' run with an entertaining 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) win.

Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win over former semi-finalist Diego Schwartzman.

The Greek fifth seed, who a blew a two-set lead to Djokovic in the 2021 final, will next play Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner after making the second week for a fifth straight year.

American Pegula's hopes were ended in comprehensive fashion by a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Belgian Elise Mertens.

World number three Pegula has still never passed the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam tournament.

The former Australian Open semi-finalist will next face 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

- Sabalenka 'not safe' -

Aryna Sabalenka refused to do an official post-match press conference after powering into the last 16 for the first time with a straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova.

The Belarusian claimed she "did not feel safe" when asked to condemn her country's support of Russia's war in Ukraine during a press conference earlier this week.

The second seed is yet to drop a set in the tournament after a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win against world number 82 Rakhimova.

Sabalenka will face former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the fourth round.

Russian Daria Kasatkina, a semi-finalist last year, raced past American Peyton Stearns 6-0, 6-1 in under an hour.

The ninth seed will next face Elina Svitolina on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals.

Ukrainian Svitolina reached the fourth round on her first Grand Slam appearance since the 2022 Australian Open with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Anna Blinkova.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic eyes history at French Open as Swiatek launches title defense

Novak Djokovic will bid for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title at a French Open without his old rival Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, while Iga Swiatek attempts to become the first woman to defend the title in 16 years.

Serbian veteran Djokovic will not be the favourite for the title, though, after struggling with an elbow injury and failing to get past the quarter-finals in any of his three clay-court events so far this season.

Carlos Alcaraz won the Barcelona and Madrid Opens en route to taking over from Djokovic as world number one, while Daniil Medvedev is seeded second for Roland Garros after his maiden clay triumph in Rome.

But Djokovic will know this is a massive opportunity to break out of his tie with 14-time French Open winner Nadal at the top of the all-time list of most men's Slam singles titles.

The two-time champion has lost eight of his 10 French Open meetings with Nadal who is missing this year's edition due to a hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open.

Djokovic and Alcaraz are seeded to meet in the semi-finals after being placed in the same half of the draw.

"I felt bad when I hear that Rafa was not able to play here in Roland Garros," said Alcaraz on Friday.

"I always want to watch the best players in the world playing the tournaments."

The 36-year-old Djokovic may also have to get past Monte Carlo Masters champion Andrey Rublev in the quarters.

The other side of the draw appears wide open, with in-form Medvedev the highest seed despite never having previously got past the quarter-finals on the Paris clay.

The Russian lost in the first round on each of his first four visits before making the quarters in 2021.

"I also don't want to put too much pressure on myself, in a way," said Medvedev.

"But what happened in Rome was amazing, especially beating a lot of good players."

Danish youngster Holger Rune, who made a surprise run to last year's quarter-finals, could face Casper Ruud in the last eight in a rematch of a bad-tempered meeting 12 months ago.

Ruud went on to be thrashed in the final by Nadal and also lost the US Open showpiece match to Alcaraz.

But the Norwegian world number four has struggled for form this year, only reaching the quarters in two of the 10 tournaments he has played.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost the 2021 final to Djokovic after being two sets up, will be among the likely contenders but has not won a title yet this term -- the longest he has had to wait for a trophy in a season since 2018.

- New 'big three'? -

The winner of the women's singles is expected to be one of the trio of reigning champion Swiatek, Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.

They have won the last four Grand Slam titles between them and at least one of them has featured in every WTA 1000 final this season.

Swiatek, who turns 22 during the tournament, will be the favourite as she chases a third Roland Garros triumph and a first successful women's title defence since Justine Henin won her third French Open in a row in 2007.

The Polish star retired from her Italian Open quarter-final against Rybakina with a thigh injury but trained at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

"Luckily nothing serious happened, so I had couple of days off," she said Friday.

"I'm still recovering from the thigh injury, but I'll be good for my first round."

Wimbledon champion Rybakina, ranked fourth, has already won the Rome and Indian Wells titles in 2023 and could face Swiatek in the Roland Garros semis.

"If I play my best, which it's impossible to play every time good and feel great, but I feel for sure no matter the surface, if I play my best, I can beat anyone," she said.

Other title hopefuls include last year's runner-up Coco Gauff, Tunisian Ons Jabeur and world number three Jessica Pegula.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic finishes troubled year with 'satisfying' ATP Finals title

TURIN, Italy -- Novak Djokovic said winning a record-equaling sixth ATP Tour Finals title on Sunday was a "deeply satisfying" ending to his troubled and truncated year.

The Serb beat Norwegian Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-3 in Turin to match Roger Federer's record of six titles in the year-ending tournament for the top-ranked players.

The 35-year-old Serb, the oldest player to win the Finals, ended in style after a season in which he missed two majors because of his vaccine status.

"It feels deeply satisfying and, at the same time, a huge relief because of the circumstances that I have been through this year, situations earlier this year, of course, with Australia," he said. 

"We don't need to go back. We know what happened."

In January, Djokovic was detained and deported from Australia over his Covid non-vaccinated status and missed the Australian Open.

"That had an effect obviously on my start of the year. For the first several months, I was trying to find that balance game-wise but also mentally in order to be able to come back to the court and find that tennis level that I need."

Djokovic was initially barred from returning to Australia before 2025 but earlier in the week the new government in Canberra said the nine-time Australian Open champion would be free to compete in January's tournament.

“I don't know what the future holds but I know that what I hold in my mind is a huge hunger still to win trophies,” said Djokovic.

The win in Turin, which also brings a cheque for $4.7 million, came seven years after his last ATP Finals victory and will lift him from eighth to fifth in Monday's new rankings at the end of a season in which he also won Wimbledon. Carlos Alcaraz, who missed the finals injured, is number one.

"In my mind I always see myself as the best player in the world, of course," he said.

"I'm not. I'm fifth. This week I probably am. Overall the rankings are showing who had the best year, and Alcaraz is the No. 1 in the world."

Djokovic and his wife brought his eight-year-old son and five-year-old daughter to Turin.

"Extremely special for me," he said. "I don't get to have these moments on the tour with them so much."

"I took both of my children, particularly my son, a lot to the tennis training sessions, warmups, matches. He was very loud, I must say. I was very surprised. I could hear his voice the entire time."

"They both are now aware of what's going on, what the father is doing."

- 'Close points' -

For the 23-year-old Ruud it was a third near-miss of the year. He also lost the finals of the French and US Opens.

"In the end it's been disappointing to end up losing these big finals," he said. 

"Overall if you gave me an offer to end the year at No. 3, play the finals that I've played, at the first of January this year, I would probably sign the contract right away."

"I've overachieved compared to my own mind, so I'm very happy about that."

Ruud has never taken a set from either Djokovic or his French Open final conqueror Rafael Nadal.

"They have this sort of ability in them to step up when they really have to that I don't have," Ruud said. "They always seem to win the close points, the close sets."

The American Rajeev Ram and Britain's Joe Salisbury took the doubles title with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 win over the Croatian pair of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic. 

Ram and Salisbury lost in last year's final to French pair Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herber

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Teenager Rune upsets Djokovic to win Paris Masters

PARIS, France -- Danish teenager Holger Rune shocked six-time champion Novak Djokovic to clinch his first Masters title in Paris on Sunday after coming from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. 

Rune, 19, became the youngest winner of the Paris tournament since an 18-year-old Boris Becker in 1986 after beating five top-10 players in as many days -- the first to do so in the same tournament.

He is the fifth first-time Masters winner this season and will be the first Danish man to break into the top 10 on Monday.

"It's probably the best feeling of my life, of my whole career," said Rune.

"It's kind of a small dream come true, even though I have bigger dreams."

After winning the title in Stockholm either side of runner-up finishes in Sofia and Basel, Rune began his run to a fourth straight final by saving three match points in the opening round to beat Stan Wawrinka.

He then took down Hubert Hurkacz followed by Andrey Rublev before seeing off Carlos Alcaraz as the world number one retired with injury while trailing by a set in the quarter-finals.

Rune snapped Felix Auger-Aliassime's 16-match winning streak to set up the clash with Djokovic, who had not lost at Bercy since his defeat to Karen Khachanov in the 2018 final.

"It was also very important for me to beat Felix and Alcaraz and these guys," said Rune.

"But still, to be able to beat Novak on such an occasion, and he's probably one of the greatest we have ever had in this sport -- it's a crazy feeling to be able to beat him in this final."

Serbia's Djokovic came into Sunday's final having won 21 of 22 matches since the start of Wimbledon, which he won for the seventh time in July to match Pete Sampras.

"For somebody who is so young to show this composure and maturity in the big match like this is very impressive. He's had a week of his life," said Djokovic.

He broke for a 3-1 lead as Rune served back-to-back double faults in the biggest final of his career to date.

Djokovic comfortably held out to pocket the opening set and looked to have Rune on the ropes when he surged 40-0 ahead on his opponent's serve in the first game of the second set.

- Turning point -

But Rune battled back superbly to thwart Djokovic and then swung the momentum in his favor by immediately breaking to go 2-0 up the following game, which proved enough to force a decider.

The 16-year age gap between the pair was the biggest in a Masters final since Rafael Nadal, then 19, defeated 35-year-old Andre Agassi in Montreal in 2005.

Rune's inexperience resurfaced when he double-faulted attempting a big second serve to hand Djokovic a 3-1 edge, but the Dane showed his remarkable character to break back straight away.

Instead it was Djokovic who cracked when the pressure was highest, spearing a forehand wide to present Rune with the chance to serve for the trophy.

Rune withstood six break points in a marathon final game before securing the title after two hours and 34 minutes to complete an incredible week in the French capital.

"It was the most stressful game of my life," said Rune of the gripping finale. "My heart was almost in my brain. I was already starting to think about the tie-break. I'm very proud I could finish it."

Rune is qualified for next week's Next Gen Finals in Milan, but with his victory over Djokovic he also becomes the first alternate for the ATP Finals in Turin from November 13-20.

Djokovic will turn his focus to winning the season-ending finals for a record-equalling sixth time, to draw level with Roger Federer. 

"Of course I'm disappointed with the loss today, but I was very close," said Djokovic.

"It was just very few points that decided a winner. But the level of tennis that I'm playing is high, and I like my chances (in Turin).

"Every match is like a final there. There are no easy matches."

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic 'would love' to play at Australian Open: tournament chief

Novak Djokovic is eager to play at the Australian Open but it's up to him to "work out the situation" with the government, tournament chief Craig Tiley said Wednesday, while confirming Russians and Belarusians can compete as neutrals.

This year's championship was overshadowed by an unvaccinated Djokovic being deported from Australia on the eve of the Grand Slam after a high-stakes legal battle over his visa status.

The nine-time champion from Serbia is currently serving a three-year ban from entering Australia.

It can be overturned at the discretion of the centre-left government, which is different to the conservative coalition in power when he was kicked out. But they have given no indication on whether they would consider this.

Tiley said he spent time with Djokovic recently and the Serbian wanted to return for the first major of the year in January in Melbourne.

"What we're saying at this point is that Novak and the federal government need to work out the situation. And then we'll follow any instruction after that," Tiley told The Age newspaper at the tournament's official launch.

"I did spend some time with Novak at the Laver Cup. We spoke generally. He said that he'd obviously love to come back to Australia but he knows it's going to be an ultimate decision for the federal government.

"He's accepted that position. It's a private matter between them."

Opposition politician Karen Andrews, who was home affairs minister when Djokovic was deported, told ABC radio he should not be given special treatment.

"It would be a slap in the face for those people in Australia who did the right thing, got vaccinated, did everything they needed to do if all of a sudden Novak Djokovic is allowed back into the country simply because he is a high-ranking tennis player with many millions of dollars," Andrews said.

Tiley added that he anticipated no restrictions on players from countries involved in the Ukraine conflict, in contrast to Wimbledon this year, which banned them from competing.

"At this point, Russian and Belarusians will be eligible to play at the Australian Open," he said.

"The only difference will be that they cannot represent Russia, cannot represent the flag of Russia, cannot participate in any activity such as the anthem of Russia and have to play as independent players."

Organisers are targeting a record 900,000 spectators at the 2023 event, with one million fans the ultimate goal.

Tiley said the previous attendance record was an estimated 820,000 people, with ticket pre-sales already strong.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic advances to Tel Aviv semi-finals

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Novak Djokovic advanced to the Tel Aviv semi-finals on Friday with a hard-fought straight-sets victory over Canadian Vasek Pospisil.

The top-seeded Serb won 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in just under two hours against the 149th-ranked Canadian to maintain his perfect record in their six meetings.

"It was a great, positive win," said Djokovic, who is playing a singles tournament for the first time since winning Wimbledon in July.

"Vasek is one of my best friends on the Tour. We have known each other for many years. 

"It is never easy playing someone you respect so much and like so much, but we are both professionals and wanted to win the match and you can see that.

"I think the level of tennis was really high. Especially towards the end of the first set and the second set. Credit to him for fighting. Great to see him back."

Djokovic, who has dropped to world number seven, had to fight in the first set before winning a tie-break 7-6 (7/5) in 59 minutes. 

The 35-year-old Serb twice broke his rival's serve in the second to keep his record of never dropping a set against the 32-year-old Canadian.

Djokovic next takes on 104th ranked Russian Roman Safiullin who beat France's Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-1.

Second seed Marin Cilic plays France's Constant Lestienne in Saturday's second semi-final.

Croat Cilic advanced when Britain's Liam Broady handed him a walkover.

Lestienne ousted fourth-seeded Maxime Cressy of the United States 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

Lestienne, 30, advanced to his first tour-level semi-final. 

After winning his 21st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July, Djokovic had not played again until the Laver Cup team competition last week in London. 

He had to skip all American tournaments, including the US Open, the last major of the season, because of his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

After Tel Aviv, Djokovic wants to play the Astana Open, from October 3 to 9 in Kazakhstan, before defending his title at the Paris Masters from October 31 to November 6. 

In both tournaments he could meet Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, 19, who became world number one after winning the US Open. 

The main end-of-season objective for Djokovic remains the Masters made up of the first eight of the ATP ranking, from November 13 to 20 in Turin.

Agence France-Presse

'Worst nightmare': Kyrgios tackles Djokovic for Wimbledon title

LONDON -- Nick Kyrgios can become one of Wimbledon's most controversial champions on Sunday when he faces Novak Djokovic in a final set to showcase flamboyant shot-making punctuated by likely dark mood swings.

The maverick Australian crowd-pleaser is in his first Slam final at the age of 27 after a roller-coaster career.

There have been tempestuous outbursts, spats with players, officials and media and fines that he has previously estimated have cost him $500,000.

When Rafael Nadal's injury-enforced withdrawal gave him a free passage into Sunday's final, the Daily Telegraph asked if it represented "Wimbledon's worst nightmare".

Kyrgios, bidding to become Australia's first Grand Slam men's champion since Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon 20 years ago, has been box office on and off the court at the All England Club.

In a campaign of all-out attack, he has fired a tournament-leading 120 aces, 292 winners, the second-fastest serve of 137 miles (220 kilometers) per hour while being broken only six times.

But he has picked up $14,000 in fines, spat in the direction of fans and was even accused of having an "evil side" and being a "bully" by third-round rival Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He also has the added distraction of a court appearance in Australia next month, related to an allegation of assault.

"I never thought I'd be here at all, to be brutally honest with you," said the 27-year-old.

"I'm just super proud and I'm just ready to go. Once you are able to raise a Grand Slam trophy, that's like, I mean, kind of what else is there to achieve?"

Kyrgios, ranked 40, said that, win or lose on Sunday, he has already put his many detractors in their place.

"Since I was born, only eight people have ever won this title, like eight people. I'm just going to give it my best shot."

The final will be a clash between two men who have rarely seen eye-to-eye.

When Djokovic organized his ill-fated Adria Tour during the coronavirus pandemic, Kyrgios accused him of "lacking leadership and humility".

- 'Bromance' -

He once described the Serb's post-match victory celebrations as "cringeworthy".

Djokovic hit back last year when he said: "Off the court, I don't have much respect for him, to be honest."

However, Kyrgios performed an about-turn by becoming one of the few players to offer Djokovic support in his Australia deportation saga in January, related to his Covid vaccination status.

"We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird," said Kyrgios on Friday.

"We actually message each other on DMs in Instagram now and stuff. Earlier in the week, he was like, 'Hopefully I'll see you Sunday'."

Kyrgios knows how to beat Djokovic, winning their only two meetings in 2017 in Acapulco and Indian Wells without dropping a set.

Victory on Sunday would make him only the third unseeded man to lift the trophy after Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.

Djokovic is in his eighth Wimbledon final and record 32nd at all the majors.

He is chasing a seventh title to pull level with Pete Sampras and sit one behind Roger Federer's men's record of eight.

Victory would take him to 21 Grand Slams, one ahead of Federer and one behind Nadal.

Djokovic admits that he has warmed to Kyrgios but stopped short of agreeing they were at the "bromance" level.

- 'Better relationship' -

"We definitely have a better relationship than what it was probably prior to January this year," said the top seed.

"When it was really tough for me in Australia, he was one of the very few players that came out publicly and supported me and stood by me. That's something I truly appreciate. So I respect him for that a lot."

Djokovic, 35, praised Kyrgios for playing "lights-out every time he steps out onto the court".

He believes his experience could be crucial against a player whose previous best performance at the Slams were quarter-final runs at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open the following year.

"But he's a big-match player. The best tennis he's played is always against the top guys. That's why we all respect him, because we know what he can come up with.

"I'm glad that he's in the final because he's got so much talent."

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic in 13th Wimbledon quarter-final as Federer eyes 'one more time'

LONDON -- Six-time champion Novak Djokovic reached his 13th Wimbledon quarter-final on Sunday as injury-stricken rival Roger Federer revealed his desire to play at the All England Club "one more time".

Top seed Djokovic, seeking to move level with Pete Sampras as a seven-time champion, defeated Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

"He was very tough. I have never faced him before," said Djokovic after racking up a 25th successive win on grass.

"He has a great serve, powerful forehand and nice touch."

Earlier Sunday, 20-time major winner Djokovic had seen fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz, his scheduled last-eight opponent, beaten by Jannik Sinner.

The 20-year-old Italian clinched a 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3 win to set up a meeting with the top seed instead.

Sinner, who had never won a grass court match before this Wimbledon, is the youngest man in the last-eight since Nick Kyrgios in 2014.

"Carlos is a very tough opponent and a nice person. It's always a huge pleasure to play him," said Sinner after making the quarter-finals of a Slam for the third time.

Sinner needed six match points to seal the deal while Alcaraz was left to regret failing to convert any of his seven break points.

For the first time, play took place on middle Sunday.

It has traditionally been a rest day with the exception of a handful of occasions when rain in the opening week forced a quick planning reset.

The action on Centre Court was preceded by a parade of champions to mark the 100th anniversary of the stadium.

One of those was eight-time champion Federer, who is sitting out the 2022 tournament as he continues his slow recovery from knee surgery.

However, he insisted that he plans to be back in 2023, even though he will be within sight of his 42nd birthday.

"I hope I can come back one more time," said the 20-time Grand Slam winner. "I've missed it here."

Federer has been out of action since a quarter-final loss at Wimbledon last year before undergoing another bout of knee surgery.

"I knew walking out here last year, it was going to be a tough year ahead," said Federer.

- 'Knee rough on me' -

"I maybe didn't think it was going to take this long to come back -- the knee has been rough on me."

Belgium's David Goffin defeated Frances Tiafoe of the United States in the longest match at this year's Wimbledon to reach the quarter-finals.

Goffin, who also made the quarters on his last appearance in 2019, came out on top 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 after four hours and 36 minutes on Court Two.

The world number 58 will next face Britain's Cameron Norrie who reached a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time, sweeping past Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.

After women's top seed Iga Swiatek was knocked out Saturday, world number two Ons Jabeur stayed on course for a maiden Slam title.

The Tunisian made the last eight for a second successive year, beating Belgium's Elise Mertens 7-6 (11/9), 6-4.

Jabeur, who will face Marie Bouzkova for a semi-final place, said she wanted to be a trailblazer for Arab and African players.

"I wish I could really give that message to the young generation not just from my country but from the African continent," she said.

- 'Don't know how I got here' -

Bouzkova, the world number 66 from the Czech Republic, breezed past Caroline Garcia of France 7-5, 6-2.

Mother-of-two Tatjana Maria is also through to her first Slam quarter-final, 15 years after her debut.

The 34-year-old saved two match points to defeat former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.

Maria, ranked 103, fired nine aces and exploited Ostapenko's all-or-nothing approach, which resulted in 52 winners and 57 unforced errors.

"It makes me so proud to be a mum -- that's the best thing in the world," said Maria, who only returned from a second maternity leave less than a year ago.

Ostapenko grumbled: "She didn't really do anything today. She was just waiting on my mistakes."

Maria will face fellow German Jule Niemeier for a place in the semi-finals after the world number 97 beat Heather Watson 6-2, 6-4.

Agence France-Presse

‘So far, so good’, as Djokovic cruises into Wimbledon last 16

Three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon fourth round for the 14th time on Friday with a straight-sets demolition of Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic.

Djokovic, looking to pull level with Pete Sampras as a seven-time Wimbledon champion, triumphed 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.

Friday's win was the 330th of Djokovic's Grand Slam career.

"So far, so good," said the 35-year-old top seed, who has now reached the last 16 of a major for the 55th time.

"I expect high standards from myself. You always want to raise the level and things are shaping up well."

Waiting in the fourth round will be Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven.

Agence France-Presse